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Butler County residents split over ICE contract as commissioners hear hours of public comment
Summary
Dozens of residents urged the Butler County Commission to terminate or defend the county's contract that allows ICE detainees to be held at the county jail. Speakers representing both positions addressed the board during an extended public-comment period Nov. 25.
Dozens of Butler County residents used the Nov. 25 public-comment period to press the county commissioners on the sheriff's contract that permits Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to house detainees at the Butler County Jail.
Steve Holmquist, a Hamilton homeowner, said he read an Ohio Attorney General opinion and asked the board to clarify who can sign or conclude the ICE contract, calling the county's participation "the unconstitutional, illegal, and immoral state violence unleashed upon American cities and neighborhoods." He asked the commissioners to confirm whether the contract requires commissioner authorization.
Several speakers urged termination of the ICE contract on civil-rights and humanitarian grounds. One recurring speaker who identified the gatherings as "week 18" of protests told the board: "We are destroying families and denying people their basic due process rights." Linda Snow Griffin, a Fairfield Township resident who volunteers with immigrant-serving programs, cited national data and volunteer experience and said the majority of people held by ICE "are not a threat to our safety." Kathy Brinkman of Oxford observed that many detained individuals are family members with jobs and cited a federal listing from a Chicago raid in which about 3 percent of 600 named had non-civil offenses.
Other residents spoke in support of Sheriff Jones and continuing the county's arrangements with federal immigration authorities. Linda Spurrier of Hamilton described personal encounters with the sheriff and said he "does many good things to keep this county safe," recounting a resident who thanked the sheriff for help turning her life around. Ed Patrick of West Chester urged the board not to cancel the ICE contract and praised federal immigration enforcement and the sheriff's work.
Speakers also referenced local reporting and public records: Holmquist read from an Attorney General opinion and cited local news coverage; others referred to statements by the Butler County Prosecutor appearing in recent media stories. Several comments included heated partisan language and contested factual claims about federal officials and ICE practices.
Board President closed the public-comment period after the scheduled speakers finished and the meeting proceeded to final announcements. The commission did not take immediate formal action to change or terminate the ICE contract during the Nov. 25 meeting; future action would require a formal agenda item and, if necessary, a vote.
The commissioners listed future meetings for Dec. 2 and Dec. 9 and noted the Dec. 30 meeting was canceled.
